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This Is The Place Heritage Park
This Is The Place Heritage Park is a state historic park located on the east side of Salt Lake County, Utah at the foot of the Wasatch Range and near the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Overview This park is administered by Utah State Parks which is a division of Utah Department of Natural Resources. Discover the beauty and history found in the many State parks of Utah. A wide variety of great activities are available including over 2000 campsites. See also Scouting in Utah. Local History The location of the park is where, on July 24, 1847, Brigham Young first saw the Salt Lake Valley that would soon become the Mormon pioneers' new home. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that Young had a vision shortly after they were exiled from Nauvoo, Illinois. In the vision, he saw the place where the Latter-day Saints would settle and "make the desert blossom like a rose" and where they would build their State of Deseret. As the account goes, Brigham Young was very sick with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and was riding in the back of a wagon. After exiting Emigration Canyon and cresting a small hill, he asked to look out of the wagon. Those with him opened the canvas cover and propped him up so he could see the empty desert valley below. He then proclaimed, "It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on." The words, "this is the place," were soon heard throughout the wagon train as the Mormon pioneers descended into the valley, their long journey having come to an end. The statement was first attributed to Young by Wilford Woodruff more than thirty years after the pioneer advent. Over the next several years, tens of thousands of Mormon pioneers emerged from Emigration Canyon and first saw their new home from this same location. A Utah state holiday, Pioneer Day, occurs each year on July 24 to commemorate the Mormon pioneers' entry into the valley. Heritage Monument In 1917 B. H. Roberts and a Boy Scout troop built a wooden marker identifying the spot where Brigham Young's party had first entered the valley. In 1921 this was replaced by a white stone obelisk that still stands east of the 1917 monument. Development of the monument began in 1937 when sculptor Mahonri M. Young, a grandson of Brigham Young, was commissioned by the State of Utah to design and create a new, larger monument. In 1947, on the 100th anniversary of the entry of the pioneers into the valley, This Is The Place Monument was dedicated at a ceremony attended by nearly 50,000 people. In 1957, a group of private citizens bought much of the land now contained in the Park and gave it to the State of Utah to preserve it from commercial development. One of the previous uses for the land was an artillery firing range for nearby Fort Douglas. The state Parks and Recreation Division was charged with the responsibility for maintenance and improvement of the property. Heritage Village Today Heritage Village is a living history museum with a collection of a great many historic sites. Andrus Halfway House Lucy Loomis Tuttle, the third wife of Milo Andrus, directed the construction of this home while her husband was serving an LDS mission in England. The Andrus home served as an inn where Lucy, along with the rest of her family, provided food and lodging for travelers. It was known as a "Halfway House" because its location in Crescent, was midway between Traveler's Rest near 6400 South in Salt Lake City, and Porter Rockwell's rest stop about twelve miles south. Lucy operated the inn for seven years before moving the family to Spanish Fork and opening up another successful hotel. Park Headquarters External Links * Park Website References * [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1760340642/maintourvacationA/ National Parks of America] - an informative and gorgeous tour of all 59 parks with our lavishly finished hardcover gift guide packed with detailed itineraries and practical tips on what to do and see in each park (2016 - Parks 100th Anniversay Edition) * '' State Parks of Utah'' - the state parks are so rich in history, varied in beauty, and abundant in recreational opportunity. * [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0899977243/maintourvacationA/ Utah's National Parks]'' - 50 popular short hikes where each holds some of the most awe-inspiring geology on the planet. Each park offers visitors the dramatic scenery that invites exploration and discovery.'' Category: Utah Category: Utah state parks Category: US state parks Category: Utah adventures Category:Living history museum Category:Heritage Park Category:Utah museums Category:State park museums Category:Utah historic sites Category:Utah history